So I took this technique further and rolled out two bags of 12.5 KG crank clay. It took an hour per bag (need a slab roller) . I laid it onto brown paper for moving and trimmed it. I tried to get closer to the original intention by embedding organic matter into the surface more and also pre fired raw clays as grog. In diameter this is around 20 inches ! I pushed the thinking around Sculpture/ drawing by taking out sections and working the interior too. This breaks the visual plane.
So , I really need to see whether the system of using crank clay as a base for sketches in raw clays and materials would work. Crank seems to hold its shape better (grogged body clay) and accepts slips onto the surface quite well .I did cheat a little by using other things in my 'toolkit' such as porcelain and oxides but this is an experiment after all. I added my usual mark making and drawing onto the clay and put a curve in it by laying over one of teh small manhole enterances I bought...this immediately raises the question of whether this is a painting or a sculpture as it exists in a 3 dimensional space.
Had an interesting day , getting to understand the thinking behind some of the work going on in the WIP Show. On a personal note, I think I sounded a bit confrontational in my crit, I didnt intend that. Having said that I have been told it was fine. Strange how the nerves still affect you after so long sharing thoughts in public. When its your peers, and when it's personal I think it differs slightly. Still haven't got to the bottom of the additional media yet. I think I make mistakes when I try to second guess situations or reactions. The same thing happened with the manifesto piece of work and also the collaborative piece. Am I in danger when I try and judge people's perception of my work?